The new proposed Bill 14 would apply to every “organization”, which is defined as including persons, unincorporated associations and other organizations but does not include certain individuals, public bodies (some of which include the government, a municipality, or a municipal board of Ontario) and Ontario courts.

The presence of video cameras in the workplace, as well as other measures of surveillance put in place by employers, have generated considerable commentary in recent years in Quebec. Administrative and civil tribunals are increasingly called upon to rule on the legality of these measures which are increasingly accessible to employers, as well as to assess their probative value in the context of the administration of evidence.

The three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk deal with: a warning from the Privacy Commissioner not to reuse passwords, a company that contravened privacy law by releasing the results of an employee’s drug test and Alberta’s investigation of serious workplace health and safety incidents.

The three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk deal with: a case where an employee claimed that her employer threatened her with discipline for exercising her right to refuse unsafe work; an FAQ that addresses employee privacy; and changes to the express entry program which came into force on November 10, 2016.

The three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk deal with: an employee who described their workplace as a “sh*t hole” on Facebook was found to be justly terminated; how to prepare for marijuana legalization in Canada; and a pension and benefit plan provider who breached privacy law, causing an employee to lose life insurance coverage.

The law has become increasingly sensitive to the need for the protection of personal information from public disclosure. This is of particular concern for employers, who often possess a wealth of personal information about their employees. With this possession comes responsibilities that can trigger legal liability if not fulfilled.

I have a particular interest in technology and its impact on the workplace. A key consequence of the impact of technology is our evolving relationship with privacy rights. As our lives become more digital, our privacy is more difficult to control. Deactivating my Facebook account is not the same as drawing the shades on my front window. Who knows where all that data continues to hang out online and who has access to it?

The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has announced in a news release that it intends to introduce amendments to the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) to strengthen PHIPA and protect patient privacy.

Last week, Alison J. Bird wrote for the First Reference Talks blog about the R. v. Cole case, involving a high school teacher who had kept photos of a naked, underage student on his work computer. In the several days, there have been a flurry of news stories calling attention to privacy boundaries employees can expect regarding work-licensed technology.

The Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner is calling on organizations to make privacy a part of their corporate culture. Dr. Ann Cavoukian, says it is not enough for organizations to have a privacy policy in place – they must take steps on an ongoing basis to make sure it is reflected in every aspect of their operations.

The privacy commissioners of Canada, Alberta and British Columbia have developed a guide to help organizations implement an effective privacy management program that meets private-sector privacy legislation and to provide consistent direction on what it means to be an accountable organization when dealing with individuals’ personal information…